PI will collect and analyze a series of bulk molluscan skeletal samples contained within the sediment along an established transect in Salt River Bay, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. These samples will be compared in detail with a corresponding suite of samples collected from the same locality just prior to the passage of Hurricane Hugo, and will provide a unique opportunity to assess directly the impact of a major storm on several aspects of post-mortem skeletal alteration and transport. Research will assess the role of storms in the formation of sedimentary strata and fossil accumulations.
